What a day I had

The Swamp, January 2007

I already told you the gym was cancelled yesterday because Mike and Peggy overslept, and as I write this I can tell you that I've already decided that I'm cancelling it for today. I'm wiped out.

I drove my parents to the airport in Jacksonville yesterday morning. We left about 10:30am. It was nice and sunny. The drive out was fine. The drive back, not so much. I ran right into a nasty thunderstorm. It was raining so hard at one point I couldn't see a thing. I pulled off at the next exit and sat in an ice cream shop parking lot for about 20 minutes until I could at least see something...and a whole bunch of other cars did the same thing! It was almost dark as night in the middle of the afternoon. Average speed on the highway coming home? 40 miles an hour. It consumed my entire day and every ounce of energy I had.

After I checked my messages and talked to one customer it was 5:00pm. I fed my cats then ran over to Al & Barbara's and fed their cats. When I got back home I poured a glass of wine and sat down in my recliner and promptly fell asleep. When I woke up it was 8:00pm! I microwaved leftovers from the night before and I called and spoke with MotherDear. My parents had a pleasant flight after a brief delay. My mother said the pilot came out and told them he did not like lightning and they would be sitting tight on the run way for a bit! They arrived safely and pretty much on time. They were chatting with Lynda & Rick on the patio over a glass of wine.

Did you know jetBlue has TVs for everybody on board?! Cool! I'm flying up on Delta in August but I'm flying back on jetBlue on the same flight as my parents. I hope something good will be on TV! =0)

And where the heck did the first half of the year go?

And that's definitely all I know right now. Here I go, off to bed! Enjoy today's trip around the sun! I know I will! Big Hugs ♥xo

We're Booked

By the time you read this I'll be wiped out and/or on my way to Jacksonville to drop my parents off at the airport for their annual trek to New England. Pick one. Or both. Ya know why? Well, I'll tell you why. You'll never guess where I was at 5:30 this morning... The gym! OMG, you guys!!! I've just started today and will be going every day with Mike and Peggy. Bu-bye excess baggage! Or at least some of it. I have to start very slowly as I haven't exercised in about 8 years. Hence, the excess baggage. Duh.

iGracie... straight out of my iPhone. Does she look ready for beddy-bye, or what?!

In much more exciting news... I called Miss Annie, the Carnival Personal Vacation Planner as per Miss Bee's instructions, even though I have Steve, my own Personal Vacation Planner. I told Annie I felt like I was cheating on Steve but after all, we all DO need to be together and on the same schedule, right? Right! Annie booked a lovely stateroom on the Lido Deck at the very front of the ship for Linda and me. Woohoo! I'm very pleased! And have I mentioned I'm so excited about this blogging cruise that I can hardly stand it? Oh. I did? Well, alrighty then. 243 days to go. And yes, Linda, I need the html code so I can put the timer on my blog!

I had an incredibly busy day at the office yesterday and I truly hope that continues. I'd like to do that every single day. My fingertips to God's ears. Amen.

And a very Happy Birthday to my brother Paul, my dear friend Al and my sweet, sweet friend Miss Judy!! Yes, I do have brothers, although I mostly talk about my SisterDears!

Mother Mercy! That's all I know tonight. (You know I write this the night before, right?) Be blessed y'all! Enjoy today's trip around the sun! I know I will! Big Hugs ♥xo

UPDATED @ 6:53am: Mike and Peggy's cat unplugged their alarm clock (is that like the dog ate your homework or what?!) and they overslept until just now, so I got a one day reprieve from the Gym! Occasionally Mike will have a bad night so I assumed they simply decided not to go and slept in. Their daughter's work called to see why she wasn't at work yet and that's how they woke up. Now I feel bad for not calling, but I erred on the side of caution for Mike's sake. And mine. hahahaha!

Speaking of Chicken...

We interupt our regular blogging schedule for this recipe. My regular post is below this. I'll be making this one day this week! I found the recipe on SimplyRecipes.com.

Parmesan Chicken

INGREDIENTS

• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 stick unsalted butter (1/2 cup or 1/4 pound), melted
• 1 cup dried bread crumbs
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese (or 2/3 cup if you are using a Microplane zester)
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
• A large pinch of Italian seasoning (herb mix)
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 lbs of skinless, boneless, chicken meat, cut into pieces no larger than 2x2 inches

METHOD

 
 

1 Preheat oven to 450°F.

2 In a bowl, combine the minced garlic with the melted butter. In another bowl mix together the bread crumbs, Parmesan, parsley, salt, garlic salt, Italian seasoning, and pepper. Dip chicken pieces into garlic butter, then into crumb mixture to coat.

3 Place coated chicken pieces on to a 9x13 baking dish. Try to leave a little room between each piece. Drizzle with remaining garlic butter and bake uncovered 15 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear. Note that the chicken will get much more browned on the bottom side than on the top.

Serves 4-6.

Simply Recipes http://simplyrecipes.com

Enjoy today's trip around the sun! I know I will! Big Hugs ♥xo

Birds of a Feather

“Ever consider what pets must think of us? I mean, here we come back from a grocery store with the most amazing haul - chicken, pork, half a cow. They must think we're the greatest hunters on earth!” -Anne Tyler

I can never resist a rotisserie chicken right out of the rotisserie! The wafting aroma is irresistable! While I was waiting in line at Wally World Saturday afternoon a big old cart of a fresh batch of 'em was being rolled up right in front of the registers. Sold!

At that exact moment the dinner menu changed! I made some Smashed Potatoes and paired them with some mixed veggies and called it one scrumptious, quick and easy peasy dinner. Barbara and Al stopped by to see us before they left on their adventure just as I was smashing the taters so they joined us. There was plenty! There was even enough for Gracie and Gandalf to have their fair share. They both love chicken! And Filet Mignon and Pot Roast! hahahaha!



Mr. Hawk has been hanging around this side of the Swamp lately. He was on the fence and much closer when I dashed inside to grab my camera but by the time I made it back outside he'd flown much farther away, high up in this tree. Even then I only had time to get off this one shot which did not turn out well. I messed around with it in Photoshop and came up with this rather unusual effect. It looks a bit artsy fartsy, doncha think? I rather like it! Don't ask me what I did because I don't remember! One of these days I'll get myself a nice DSLR camera with some great lenses, but for now my little Point and Shoot will have to do.

I posted this on Facebook but I thought I'd mention here on the blog, too. First let me say that he's fine. OK? Good. My Dad collapsed the other day from heat exhaustion. Too much time in the sun, heat and humidity. He wasn't wearing his usual straw hat and he's usually inside during the hottest part of the day. But not on this day. Actually, he was only out about half an hour watering the grass but it was too much! It was 96 degrees but the heat index was 106 degrees!

Maybe it's just me but I swear, I've lived down here in the Deep South since 1975 and I don't remember it ever being THIS hot and humid. And my Dad has never been 81-1/2 years old before either.

The elderly are especially susceptible to Heat exhaustion - or worse - Heat Stroke, which is life threating! Please, make sure to stay well-hydrated and out of the heat whenever possible. If you have elderly loved ones, make sure they take precautions. My Dad absolutely hates being hen-pecked but Geez Louise, that was very scary. We got cool wash-cloths for his face and neck and he drank some cool water. He recovered very quickly and then went and took a cool-ish shower and a nap and he was much better. Once again, I am so very grateful that I am able to kiss my Dad and MotherDear goodnight again.

OK, that's your PSA for today. Take it seriously. OK? Thank you.

In lighter news, I took MotherDear to Bingo with the Biddies yesterday. No winnings to report. Again. I will miss my parents while they are visiting up nawth but I will not miss Bingo!

And finally, I can report that I still love Key Lime Pie. mmmmmm.....

Enjoy today's trip around the sun! I know I will! Big Hugs ♥xo

I'm so excited I can't stand it

Glory-ous news!!

Princess Sandee and her handsome hubby Zane are definitely joining us on Blogging Cruise 4 in February! Woohoo!  I'm so excited I can't stand it! Seriously! It's all I talked about yesterday! MotherDear was excited for me but I think she might have been thisclose to rolling her eyes! (Just kidding!)

Lois... you're up! If you want to but your hubby doesn't you can be roomies with me and Linda! Sandy and Dick are going! And of course, Sarge Charlie and Empress Bee are already booked! What fun we'll have! Empress Bee did a post yesterday with how best to book it and I shall follow her suggestions to the T!

Anybody else wanna come? The more, the merrier! Have Tiara, Will Cruise! That's my story and I'm stickin' to it!

Oh, and I discovered this adult beverage yesterday at the wine store. MotherDear and I each enjoyed one on the patio in the heat of the afternoon. Yummy! We added a wedge of lime to make it more limey. We love limey!

Did some of you miss the part about my Goosies flying for the very first time? It was awesome! Of course, it is bittersweet because that also means they will be flying off and leaving me (and this dreadful heat) behind until next Spring.

That's all I know today, but after all you did get that big Newsy post yesterday! Have a fabulous Sunday! I know I will! Big Hugs ♥xo

WARNING: This is a little bit Newsy

Grayson and Gandalf 

Kari asked yesterday who takes care of my cats while I'm on vacation. Obviously when my parents are staying home, they do. And by 'they' I mean my Dad! If it is while all 3 of us are up in New England my friends Al and Barbara do. And by 'Al and Barbara' I mean Al!

I take care of Al & Barbara's 4; Al takes care of my 4. In fact he and Barbara are taking a trip this coming Sunday. They're doing some leisurely driving through some lovely spots including: Asheville, NC, Roanoke, VA - and this next leg of the journey I'm very jealous of y'all - Tewksbury, MA to visit one of my sisters and Hudson, NH to visit one of my brothers. And I'm not going! In fact, they'll be arriving at my sisters just a few days after my parents will have arrived. That hardly seems fair, does it?

And when we all go on vacation together we just board all the babies with our Vets. The last time all of us went somewhere together was quite a few years ago to Key West. Luckily, Al's brother Don, who has more cats and dogs than I can count, and his wife Judy came to the house several times a day to spend time with the babies. Dang. Our cats have it pretty good!

So this coming week I will be scooping for 8. Lovely. To my cat-blogging friends with more than 8 cats, honestly, I just can't fathom how you do it day after day after day....


It's the Cat Days of Summer here at the Swamp

Kari also asked about Gracie's Special Leg. It's just fine and dandy, Kari! Hopefully, this will remain the case. At the moment it needs no special care and Gracie is just your normal, busy, curious, precocious, growing kitten. She spends each day working on her royal wave (read swat!) while overseeing her reluctant, royal subjects here in the Kingdom of Gracie. It's good to be the Queen!

I've got my Passport! However, MotherDear does not. I just finished filling out MotherDear's application. I got her Certified Birth Certificate in the mail so the next order of business is getting her Passport Photos, then it's off to the Post Office to drop off her application, photos and 3 other forms of ID. Check, check and check! I wish the cruise were closer. I'm so ready to go! And you need to go, too. You know who you are!

My engaged couple never called yesterday afternoon to meet me at the house, as planned. Let's see a show of hands on who is surprised by this? Bueller? Bueller? (My spell-check tried to make engaged couple 'enraged' couple. hahahaha!)

And now a question for my Flickr using friends:

What say you on the new interface? Like? Dislike? I mostly like, although when I first saw it I was leaning a little towards dislike as I couldn't find the html code for posting the photos into my blog posts. I was having myself quite a pout. I finally found where they were hiding them and all is well now. I do like the larger photos. Flickr is all about the photos, after all.



And finally, I have some really BIG NEWS!

Flight 101 has landed! All 7 of my Goosies landed here at the Swamp yesterday afternoon for the very first time this year! Woohoo! This sight always brings tears to my eyes and this year was no exception! I had my iPhone with me on the patio, but unfortunately they were all down on the grass before I could click my iPhone arrow to the right to open it! Great job, Mama and Papa Goosies! Yay Goslings! You've Officially Fledged!

And by special request, and I wholeheartedly agree:

Linda said...

Okay, so you need to talk Sandee and Zane into going on the Bloggers' Cruise, too. You would absolutely LOVE them both and they're retired, they can take the time to make their way to Florida and join everyone - just sayin'! 

There you have it, Sandee. A command performance by the Duchess. Actually that would be two Duchesses, as I myself am better known in family circles as Duchess PMS. You and Zane simply MUST come on the Blogging Cruise! It's a really, really big boat, but don't worry, they have someone who can bring it into port and weigh anchor.

Well, that's all I know right now. Enjoy today's trip around the sun! I know I will! Big Hugs ♥xo

Finally Friday

All hail, Queen Gracie! She needs a Tiara! Srsly. She keeps those boys in line with a snarl and a mighty swat, much to their dismay and continued surprise. She's about 8-1/2 months old now. She's bigger, but still little. I should weigh her. She might be 6 pounds now!

So it's Friday again. I am showing the house this afternoon to a couple who are getting married in October. I'm not very excited about it because the Groom-to-be told me they haven't decided if they want to rent or buy yet. His future Bride and mother-in-law are driving into town tomorrow for the weekend to look at houses. Hey, at least I made the list, huh?

I took MotherDear to Bingo with the Biddies last night. Neither of us won. Now there's a surprise! Ha! We each bought a Mega Ball ticket and a PowerBall ticket, so there's some hope! hahahaha!

My parent's are all packed for their trip to Massachusetts on Tuesday. They'll be up there for 2 months again. This year promises more excitement as my nephew Brian and his lovely fiancée Anna are getting Married in August and there will be parties and celebrations. Woohoo. I'm going up for almost 2 weeks just before the wedding. I prefer the relaxing time after the excitement, thankyouverymuch.

My neighbors are going on their cruise aboard the Carnival Dream in about a month. Mike says they always try to get them to book another cruise for huge savings while they're still on board. Mike says he'll check into the week of the Bloggers Cruise to see if they can get it any cheaper. Hey... it can't hurt, right? They've booked one of THE most expensive Spa Suites with the huge balcony, tons of square footage and all the amenities. They're counting the days. I wish I was going with them!

Well, that's all I know right now. Have a lovely Friday! I know I will! Big Hugs ♥xo

Thinkin' on Thursday

This was taken on my 8-day cruise to the Western Caribbean aboard the Carnival Sensation, not long after my divorce, so it was mid-1990s. There were 22 of us in our fun little group: A few Sisters, a cousin, some in-laws, a couple of friends, parents of friends and a few neighbors. What fun!

The SisterDears have decided to change our cruise date from February 2011 to July 2011 so we can cruise out of Boston. It will be much less expensive for the other 3 SisterDears since they won't have to fly down to Jacksonville or Port Canaveral. Of course, that means it won't be Carnival Cruise Line, but I'm sure we'll all still enjoy it! Even without CD John Heald.

So now I'm thinkin' that I may want to go on this:

Bloggers Cruise

Experience a Bloggers Cruise with John and the blogging family, live on the Carnival Glory 02/27/2011. Book your cruise with the “PBL” fare code to participate.

Of course I'd need to find someone to share a Stateroom with me, since rates are based on double occupancy. So I've asked Linda if she'd be interested in being my Stateroom mate!

We'll see how that all shakes out, especially after I told Linda my deep, dark, dirty secret. Promise not to tell anyone?

.......................................................
Did you promise?

I snore. At least that's what I've been told. You can't prove it by me though!



So, tell me! Who's cruisin'?

Big Hugs ♥xo

Why do my cats only listen to sentences that end in dammit?

It’s truly one of life’s great mysteries. I use to end them in sweetie or honey, but dammit definitely yields better results. My Dad tells me the same is true for kids. My Dad is so smart.

Any guesses as to who this is? Yup. That would be yours truly. I’ve noticed that most of my baby pictures have me in some silly straw hat or a pointed party hat. This particular photo is laminated in very heavy plastic. This is the actual size. It must have been the 1954 version of a wallet photo for Dads, because this is my Dad’s photo. He still has it, too. Isn’t that the sweetest thing you ever heard?

I’m up to my carpal tunnel and sore shoulders in website updating again. Hope your day is lovely! Big hugs xo

Does she look like she is the Mother of 8?

Have you missed me? I'm up to my eyeballs in website updates. I have quite a bit ahead of me so my online presence will be spotty at best for some time to come.

However... my Dad brought a stack of photos into my office this morning, so I had to pause from my website work to scan them! Of the lot, this one is far and away my favorite. Near as I can tell, this shot was taken circa early 1970s, which means MotherDear and Dad had already had 8 kids when this photo was taken. She was one HOT Mama! MotherDear is going to be 76 in October, and truthfully, she still looks good!

No wonder my Dad still loves her so much, eh?

Enjoy today's trip around the sun! I know I will! Big Hugs ♥xo

I hate it when that happens

Well, not if it has an error in it. Duh!

So yesterday I decided it was a good day to do some major updates on my business website. And then I broke it. And I mean I broke it but good. I was getting script errors and my main page was completely screwed up. Com.Plete.Ly.

Have I mentioned lately how much I hate Windows? Grrrr..

That's exactly why I choose the weekends for major changes. I get much less traffic on the weekend. I ended up spending the whole day trying to figure out how to fix it. Not fun.

Now I have to work today to do what I wanted to do yesterday.

And just for extra fun, I got both of my electric bills in the mail yesterday. I'll just let you imagine how wonderful those were. Holy cah-rap!

Enjoy today's trip around the sun! I know it has to be better than yesterday! Big Hugs ♥xo

Help! My neighbor is stealing my grass again!

My friends across the street called me first thing yesterday morning while my coffee was still brewing. They wanted to make sure I was up before they came over. Ya gotta love neighbors who come over and sit on your back patio while you're still in your jammies and have morning coffee with you! First thing Mike did was apologize for not mowing my yard the previous day and promised to do it that afternoon right after Vacation Bible School got out... As if it's his job or something!

Mike likes to take care of all the elderly people's yards in the neighborhood here at the Swamp. I believe he is currently doing 8 or 9! I'm going to assume by 'elderly' that Mike is referring to my Dad! bwahahahaha! This is an old photo of Mike from 4 years ago, but I didn't take a photo when he came back to mow the lawn so you get one from the archives. Bad Blogger!

And Peggy wanted to show me something special.



Or rather someone special. Meet Patches! She just sauntered into Peggy's garage and announced that she liked them and wanted to live with them and eat their food. She's an itty btty Tortoise Shell, perhaps about 6 weeks old. What a little purring, loving machine! She definitely has that Tortie Attitude - or Tortitude!



The whole time Mike and Peggy were here she kept walking the ledge of the patio or sitting on the other half of the deck that is under cover, but not screened. A few times she started climbing my screens... So we had to put a stop to that. I went in and brought her out a few mousies to bat around. She loved them and took them home with her.

My cats? They were not so crazy about Patches, especially since she was on the other side of the screen!

Me? I'm just glad she didn't saunter into MY garage!

Be blessed, y'all!

Enjoy today's trip around the sun! I know I will! Big Hugs ♥xo

Tripping Down Memory Lane

Miss Bee asked the question "What was your favorite childhood memory?" on her blog the other day and it got me to thinking. I'm very fortunate to have been born into a very large family - I'm the oldest of 8 kids. I have 3 SisterDears and 4 Brothers (1 Brother now deceased). It certainly was not perfect, but it was mostly happy.

Anyway, it gave me an idea. Since we 4 SisterDears have a blog (it's just for us, sorry!) I asked them to start posting some of their favorite childhood memories. Without giving away any earth-shattering-super-secret Ya-Ya SisterDear Secrets away we already have: (2) whining about Christmas Gifts not gotten and (1) near-death experience. bwahahahahaha! Too funny!

Anyway, all but the youngest brother grew up a suburb of Boston in the tiny Town of Winthrop, MA until I was 13 years old when we moved 35 miles away (Billy was born after we moved). Believe me, that's a huge move for people from tiny towns in Massachusetts!

Winthrop is a quaint little New England seaside town. In fact, most of the square miles of Winthrop is water! There are times I wish I'd never left that town. Since I have no photos I decided to google for some images.

Crystal Cove

Seal Harbor

Cottage Park Yacht Club
(We lived just down the street on the lower left but not quite in view of this photo)

Winthrop Water Tower

Cottage Hill

Boston Skyline and Logan Airport (the view from our living room window, in fact!)

Now I miss it more! The SisterDears WILL be making a day trip or two to Winthrop very soon!

Enjoy today's trip around the sun! I know I will! Big Hugs ♥xo

Breakfast of Champions

This was the breakfast my Dad made us yesterday. Pancakes with Strawberries and Whipped Cream. It's like having dessert for breakfast!

Oh. Served on paper plates = No dishes for me to do. Dad always washes the griddle himself. Bonus Points!

He's a peach, my Dad.

Anybody wanna guess what this is?

In case anyone besides Lois was wondering, the ginormous red box of 30 Good Humor ice creams was purchased at Wally World - for under $10! You're welcome.

And what are the particulars for this Blogging Cruise 4 I'm hearing about? Er... about which I'm hearing? I may decide I need to come along, although I'm already going on a cruise in February with the SisterDears and MotherDear. I don't know if I dare leave my business unattended for that long, but it's worth looking at! I'd love to meet up with everyone and a cruise sounds even better!

I have to DVR Hot in Cleveland since it's on so late. 10pm is WAY past my bedtime. MotherDear and I finally watched the pilot episode yesterday morning. After those Pancakes with Strawberries and Whipped Cream had time to settle. So. Did Betty White steal the show, or what? I loved it and can't wait for the next episode!

I'm delighted to report that it was much cooler yesterday. Instead of 96 degrees it was a mere 95. Hey, I'll take what I can get! If you're wondering what that whirling, whooshing sound is, it's the sound of my electric meter chasing itself into a tizzy while it drains my checkbook!

Oh, And that photo above? Did you guess it? It's 5 feet of snow. bwahahahaha!

Well, that's all I know today. Enjoy today's trip around the sun! I know I will! Big Hugs ♥xo

Cookies GOOD

"Most misunderstood cookie fact: too many cookies NOT bad for you. It true! EATING too many cookies, now dat another story." -Sesame Street's Cookie Monster

I just love Cookie Monster. He's so smart! C is for Cookie and that's good enough for ME, too!



Grayson likes Cookies, too, only the cat version, AKA Temptations or Party Mix. Grayson is also very smart! Except that Grayson prefers fishie flavor cookies, definitely not my favorite kind of cookies, for sure!

Sorry, it's so hot, humid and icky sticky here that I can't think of anything other than cookies. I wanted to bake that other log of Cappuccino Cookies, but it's much too hot to turn on the oven so into the freezer it went. Which brings me to ice cream, which I bought yesterday. My Dad got all excited about the ice cream selection! I found a ginormous assorted box of 30 Good Humor ice creams - cones, chocolate covered bars and sandwiches. He almost couldn't choose. I had a cone, the first I've had in I can't remember when.

And it was g-o-o-o-d!

Enjoy today's trip around the sun! I know I will! Big Hugs ♥xo

Who's your Daddy?

It's Official. I can't tell them apart anymore. Well, technically, I happen to know that the one on the left is the Daddy. Or the Mama. Or not. I can't be sure, but the feathers look less new. But what do I know?

We had temperatures that were thisclose to 100 degrees yesterday. The heat index was said to be 106 with the humidity. You guys, It. Was. Awful. It was 96 on my patio In. The. Shade! ACK! My cats looked like throw rugs only I didn't even want to touch them.



One of my SisterDears, Lynda and her family. I swiped if off her Facebook page yesterday. The couple on the left of the photo are getting married in a few months. As you can see, we've already started the Happy!!

I've got my plane tickets and all of us have booked a couple of nights at the hotel; the night before the wedding and the night they get married. Par-tay! And yes, they've decided on a Tropical Theme!

My parents leave for their 2 months in New England in 2 weeks, so you know what that means, right? That's right. She's already all packed! Me? I always pack right before I go to bed that night before my flight. Different, we are! hahahaha!

Today has more of the same for me. I'll be working on my business web site, hopefully in between orders.

Stay out of the sun and stay cool! I know I will! Big Hugs ♥xo

Pre-Flight Check

“A wild goose never reared a tame gosling.” -Irish Proverb

Top left: Larry, Mo and Curly on April 18, 2010.

Top center and right: Larry, Mo and Curly, Day 12 and John, Paul, George and Ringo Day 1

Bottom: Larry & Mo (in the foreground, on the left and center) are now 60 days old. They now have their black necks and white chin straps as well as their feathers. They look like Canada Geese now except for being ever so slightly smaller than their parents. In fact, they are nearly indistinguishable from Mama and Papa Goose.

Paul is in the background with his parents. He is now 48 days old and has almost got a completely black neck and has himself a fine chin strap and feathers as well. He still makes a scaredy goosie noise whenever he finds himself separated from Mama and Papa Goose!

It won't be long now before they take their first flight! 


My babies grow up so quickly here at The Swamp!


Enjoy today's trip around the sun! I know I will! Big Hugs ♥xo

Hairdate: February 2004

I've been blessed to have made some wonderful friends in my 30+ years of owning a small business. Anna is one of those friends. From the Chicago area, Anna started working in the call center of one of my major parts manufacturers before her girls were born. It is extremely rare to have the pleasure of working with someone who is not only very good at what they do but who is also FUN to work with. Anna is both of those things with bells on. Lucky for me, her sister Maria lives here in Valdosta so I get to see Anna fairly often, even though she no longer works for that supplier and I no longer am a dealer for them as that contract stayed with my Florida business when I sold it. The manufacturer's loss, on both counts! =0)

The above photo was taken by Anna's hubby John as we were on the Ferry leaving the Magic Kingdom in Orlando. What a fun day we had!



This photo was of the girls inside the Magic Kingdom, in Mickey's car. Mickey's Country House is located in Mickey's Toontown Fair, a colorful play area between Fantasyland and Tomorrowland designed especially for little ones.



Naturally, we waited in line several times to have our photos taken with the characters.



Lots of Characters! I think the girls enjoyed that better than the rides!



Can you guess which one is Goofy?! hahahaha!



Of all the Characters I saw that day, these two were my favorites!

Now that my Yellow House is at least on the market, I'm going to get back into my old photos and try to get my favorite memories organized and online. This was definitely a very good memory!

Enjoy today's trip around the sun! I know I will! Big Hugs ♥xo

Envious

The only photo that MotherDear took that was in focus... but not exactly straight.

I like it!

I think Whitey is Green with Envy over Jaime's Neon Green pants!



And I am envious of my cousin over this cake!

My cousin April (our mothers are sisters) is a People/Celebrity Editor for MonstersandCritics. She's based in LA and she gets to meet and interview all kinds of celebrities. She has a particular affinity for the makeups trailers! I saw this photo on her Facebook page and shamelessly swiped it.

April said, "Went to the set of "Hot in Cleveland," saw Betty White in action live and all I got was this cake and the Boom operator's phone number ;-)"

April said of this cake, " it was homemade yellow ganache coconut cake with a cream cheese frosting that mimicked meringue - so light-I got the bakers card, she makes all the craft delicacies for James Burroughs".

mmmm.... Hey, CousinDear, can you get the recipe? Puh-leese?

Hot in Cleveland is a TV Land PRIME original production starring Valerie Bertinelli, Wendie Malick and Jane Leeves with Betty White that starts on Wednesday, June 16th! 

I just love Betty White so I'll be watching.

Oh. And in case you were wondering, Linda? I went to bed at 6:30 last night. OK, it was a little before that. I was whooped!

Enjoy today's trip around the sun! I know I will! Big Hugs ♥xo

Why MotherDear does not make her living as a Photographer

Blurry Bloggers and a High School Graduate, originally uploaded by WillThink4Wine.

- OR - Blurry Bloggers and a High School Graduate... A Blurry Jaime, Barb and Linda.

Linda and Jaime came to the Swamp for a brief but very enjoyable visit! MotherDear outdid herself with her famous Deep Dish Lasagna and Meatballs. We lifted our wine glasses and chatted into the wee hours.

Just before Linda and Jaime were leaving the Swamp for Saint Augustine (and the next Blogger meet up with Sandy) we decided we'd better have a few photos taken, right? Right.. Between MotherDear and Jaime 7 photos were taken with my camera. Unfortunately, not a single one is in focus. I sure hope the photos taken with Linda's camera come out!

But for now, I offer you the only photo with all three of us... a blurry photo from bleary-eyed but happy bloggers.

Next time we should all plan ahead and have a meet up in Saint Augustine for a blogging buddy weekend, dontcha think? That would be awesome! But not when it's miserable degrees hot.

Is there a Photographer in the house?

Well, yes there is. However, nary a photo was taken yesterday or last evening. Not a single shot of the yummy lasagna or the group of people gathered together. It's funny how that happens, isn't it? So you get this photo of Whitey grooming Gandalf yesterday morning instead.

Linda and Jaime are still sleeping. Considering we were up until well past 1am, I'm not surprised. Me? I tend to wake up at the same time every day no matter when I go to sleep. I see a nap in my future!

I will do my best to remember to take a few photos before they leave the Swamp for Saint Augustine this morning.

Enjoy today's trip around the sun! I know I will! Big Hugs ♥xo

Italian Love Cake

I decided to add this to the menu tonight. I was talking to Al and he asked if I was making it and sounded disappointed when I said I wasn't. He said  "but it goes so good with Italian". Well, yes, but then it goes good all by itself!

I've posted the recipe before but that was when nobody was reading my blog, so here ya go. DO try it. It's yummalicious!

Ingredients

• 1 (18.25 ounce) package chocolate cake mix
• 2 pints part-skim ricotta cheese
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 eggs
• 1 (3.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix
• 1 cup milk
• 1 (12 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

Procedure

1. Prepare cake mix as directed on box. Pour batter into 9 x 13 x 2 inch greased baking dish. Set aside.
2. Combine ricotta cheese, sugar, vanilla, and eggs. Blend well. Spread mixture evenly over the top of the cake batter.
3. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 75 minutes if using a glass baking dish, 90 minutes if using a metal pan.
4. Blend pudding mix and milk until thickened. Blend in whipped topping. Spread over cooled cake.

Prep Time: 25 Min

Cook Time: 1 Hr 30 Min

Ready In: 2 Hrs 55 Min

Enjoy today's trip around the sun! I know I will! Big Hugs ♥xo

Lots to do and people to do them to

Happy Saturday, y'all!

I've got a whole list of things that need to get done today, not the least of which is getting to the wine store for some Chianti and to Wally World for my favorite bread they bake. It's a French loaf with lots of yummy Mediterranean herbs. Don't ask me why, but it is my favorite bread to have with Italian. I serve it nice and crusty right out of the oven. Divine!

And my cats will be very unhappy if I don't get by the Vet's for their food!

I borrowed Al's floor steamer yesterday to try on my laminate and tile floors. I hate mopping and steam should do a much better job than even a fresh Swiffer pad, right? So I'll be doing that later. It's a test, to see if I need to buy one. I bet I do though!

So Linda had a bad time flying down to Florida yesterday. Her plane needed repairs and they delayed her flight. She was stuck at the Tampa airport waiting for another plane to Jacksonville. Poor thing. She'll feel better tonight when she's eating MotherDear's Lasagna and sipping Chianti, don't ya think?!

Kari asked yesterday how Gracie's Special Leg is doing. It's fine and dandy for the moment. The thing is that she has virtually NO hip joint to hold it in place, so she basically uses all muscle to move it. Dr. Dave says it's always going to be precarious at best, but we're just hoping she doesn't re-injure it again.



She is a little terror on 4 legs around here. It doesn't slow her down in the least and I believe she is pain-free, which is my primary concern. She's also quite a little witch. With a capital B. Have I mentioned that? hahahaha! She does NOT care to be held and only likes her head and ears scritched. The only exception is that the minute I climb into bed, she's on me like white on rice and I can't get rid of her. She is always sleeping on my pillow against my head when I wake up. Always.

Well, I better git a move on. Lots to do today!

Enjoy today's trip around the sun! I know I will! Big Hugs ♥xo